HRC Blog

HRC & American Health Lawyers Association: Hospital Visitation Guide

HRC has teamed up with the American Health Lawyers Association on a new resource for hospital administrators seeking guidance on making their hospital visitation policies inclusive of LGBT patients and their families. Revisiting Your Hospital’s Visitation Policy is a primer on what hospitals need to know to comply with accrediting criteria and federal regulations on LGBT-inclusive healthcare.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and The Joint Commission (the nation’s largest healthcare accreditation organization) now require hospitals to explain to all patients their right to choose who may visit them during an inpatient stay, regardless of whether the visitor is a family member, a spouse, a domestic partner, or another type of visitor. These rules apply to hospitals as a condition of their participating in the Medicare or Medicaid programs.

“The Joint Commission standards and the regulations from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have set us on the path to LGBT healthcare equality,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “But even with this progress, the most well-intentioned hospital administrator may need help to best serve LGBT patients. We are proud to partner with the American Health Lawyers Association to provide this important resource, which complements our National LGBT Healthcare Equality Index for healthcare facilities.”

Over the past five years HRC has been proud to work closely with a wide range of distinguished healthcare organizations on the Healthcare Equality Index. The HEI serves as a vital resource for healthcare administrators seeking to establish the best policies and practices for LGBT-inclusive care. This helps LGBT patients find healthcare free of prejudice and discrimination, empowering them to seek out healthcare providers who embrace LGBT healthcare equality.

HRC also maintains a set of resources for LGBT people to protect themselves from healthcare discrimination by creating legal documents, including a living will and healthcare power of attorney.